Page 147

After a while, the Emperor put down the jade pendant, thought for a moment, and rapped the table, shouting to someone, "Come, find that Cao De for Us, search in secret, and do not raise any alarm."

Early in the morning, he had received news that someone entered the palace late last night, and very few people in the world could freely enter the Harem at night. It must have been that wretch who had returned.

That wretch had not been seen for years, yet his temperament hadn’t changed a bit. Xiao Linzi mentioned that a eunuch had approached his Little Concubine, it was undoubtedly that wretch, without a doubt. He needed to find that wretch quickly and warn him, lest he scare His people.

Looking out of the hall, the Emperor calculated the Shichen, thinking that Nanny Qi should also be arriving soon...

As for the Noble Consort, after yesterday’s events, she quickly adjusted herself and once again became that radiant Noble Consort.

Seated on a peony-engraved sandalwood chair, she thought quietly.

Now that the person from Canglan Court had been promoted, it would be customary to send a congratulatory gift.

It should suffice if the gift was for an ordinary promotion.

Every palace was watching her every move; she must make a statement to avoid displeasing His Majesty.

Having decided on this, the Noble Consort summoned Cai Xia and ordered her to prepare a gift to send over. It must not be too lavish nor too modest, to avoid disrespect. Cai Xia received the order and left.

At this moment, Nanny Chen arrived, bowing respectfully and then reporting earnestly, "Consort, the one from Canglan Court went out this morning, heading towards the Imperial Garden."

Lately, Nanny Chen was like a startled bird.

Though the Consort still allowed her to manage these palace affairs, Cai Qin had already begun to take over the task of investigating the one from Canglan Court.

If she did not pay more attention, Cai Qin might take over all her responsibilities.

By then, she would be of no use to the Consort.

Thinking of the consequences made her panic with a strong sense of crisis. These past few days she had people secretly monitoring Canglan Court, but His Majesty’s guards surrounded the court so tightly that her people did not dare to get too close, so she knew nothing about what occurred inside.

Finally, the person shadowing reported back that the one from Canglan Court had come out, which truly seemed like divine assistance.

Upon receiving the message, she immediately came to report to the Consort, leading to the present moment.

Hearing this old woman’s words, the Noble Consort quickly sat upright, "Are you sure of this?"

Nanny Chen nodded her head and ingratiatingly said, "Absolutely certain. That person came out with a crowd, the procession was quite grand. Indeed, very ostentatious — it’s just a promotion to Beauty, yet the spectacle looks as if the Empress is on an outing..."

"Hold your tongue; are you allowed to speak such words?" the Noble Consort snapped at Nanny Chen. The title "Empress" was a thorn in her heart; aside from herself, she would not allow anyone else to be compared to it!

Nanny Chen quickly knelt down and slapped her own face, continuously saying "This servant knows her mistake".

She had intended to demean the one from Canglan Court, suggesting her lack of worldly experience and blatant behavior.

However, she had unwittingly angered the Consort and internally cursed her misfortune.

The Noble Consort’s eyes grew cold, and she raised her hand to stop Nanny Chen’s action, continuing to inquire, "Did you see clearly who was in attendance, was Zhang Qing among them?"

Bearing the pain, Nanny Chen knocked her head on the floor, "I saw it clearly; they were all young eunuchs, Zhang Qing was not among them."

The Noble Consort listened thoughtfully. She knew nothing of the recent situation in Canglan Court, which caused her great anxiety.

Now that Zhang Qing was absent, it was an excellent opportunity. It was time to probe the reality, and the pretext was ready at hand: She would personally go to congratulate Beauty Lian on her promotion!

She could go there openly; no one could fault her.

It was also an opportunity to clear the air about the situation from a few days past where Beauty Li accused someone, resolving the misunderstanding with the one from Canglan Court, lowering her guard against her and showing His Majesty that her earlier oversight was accidental, not intentional.

Indeed, it was killing several birds with one stone.

Truly a heaven-sent opportunity.

With a glint in her eyes, Noble Consort Xue summoned Cai Xia, as she wanted to personally deliver the gift and offer congratulations.

Having prepared the sedan, the Noble Consort, accompanied by several people, headed towards Canglan Court.

On the way, Cai Xia, somewhat puzzled, asked why they were not going directly to the Imperial Garden to find Beauty Lian since she was not currently at Canglan Court. Wouldn’t going there be in vain, making the Consort wait?

With a faint smile, the Noble Consort said, "What do you know? It’s only this way that my sincerity is shown.

" She wouldn’t let anyone think it was deliberate.

If she went straight to the Imperial Garden, it would inevitably make people think she was monitoring Canglan Court, intentionally blocking someone’s path.

Now, taking advantage of the absence of people in Canglan Court, it would seem more natural to visit, and waiting a bit was no issue; it would further display her sincerity.

A Noble Consort of her standing, deigning to visit the dwelling of a mere Beauty to earnestly congratulate her on her promotion, only to find the Beauty absent and to be made to wait—what would the people of the Harem think once the word spread?

They would probably think the Beauty was putting on airs, while the Noble Consort was very sincere.

A glint of calculation flashed in the eyes of the Noble Consort. Upon arriving at the entrance of Canglan Court, she saw that the gates were wide open with not a soul in sight—such lack of discipline, not even leaving someone behind to watch.

With a hint of scorn in her eyes, she ordered her people to enter directly.

After entering, the Noble Consort frowned secretly; the courtyard of Canglan Court was in such disarray, with bushes and trees left untrimmed. Other than a few paths paved with green bricks, the ground was uneven, with ridges everywhere, and the place was filled with disorderly... grass?

What were all those things, dried up and strewn across the ground—how thick were these grass stalks!

This was the Noble Consort’s first visit here, and the place gave her a headache. It was quite uncomfortable to look at, and she couldn’t help but close her eyes, not wanting to look any longer.

"Consort, we’ve arrived," Cai Xia called out softly to the Noble Consort.

The Noble Consort opened her eyes and saw the side hall of Canglan Court not far away, motioning to stop the sedan and alighted with the support of Cai Xia’s hand.

Stopping, the Noble Consort asked, "Is this Canglan Court? The place where Beauty Lian resides?"

The side hall seemed small, and the items outside were as plain as could be—not at all befitting someone favored by His Majesty. She even doubted whether she had come to the right place.

"Yes, Consort, this is indeed the current residence of Beauty Lian. Once the renovations of the main hall behind in the backyard are completed, she will move there," explained Cai Xia, gesturing to the dilapidated main hall not far away, supporting the Noble Consort’s arms with both hands.

Following her gaze, the Noble Consort looked towards the main hall, and something seemed to surround the area between it and the side hall.

She let out a soft snort of disdain. His Majesty rarely expended the people’s toil and resources to refurbish palaces, but now he made an exception for a mere Beauty. She wondered what sort of enchanting brew Beauty Lian had given to His Majesty, to affect him so.

She wasn’t simple at all—the Noble Consort had misjudged her. Beauty Lian had managed her facade so well that nothing out of the ordinary could be discerned just by looking at the exterior of the side hall. Once inside, they would know the truth.

She wanted to see for herself what peculiarities lay inside Beauty Lian’s abode that captivated His Majesty. Should she find any trace of opulence, she was resolved to have her father present a memorial to accuse her of beguiling the sovereign and living in luxurious immorality!

The Noble Consort, holding Cai Xia’s hand, walked forward. The doors of the side hall were wide open and had not been closed.

Having taken only a few steps, suddenly a chubby maid emerged from the side hall. The Noble Consort was startled by the unexpected appearance of someone.